


The Guy in 314

by spilborghs (carebearstare)



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carebearstare/pseuds/spilborghs
Summary: Ryan wants to know who that cute guy in the hallway is, Troy wants to know what this has to do with him, and Nolan's just amused by the whole thing.





	The Guy in 314

**Author's Note:**

> So, this started as just this story, but I do have a full blown backstory that's way longer than this entire story with endless and much appreciated help from tulowhiskey. But to put it briefly, none of them are ball players, all of them live in Phoenix, and they're a little younger than their current selves. Just roll with it. 
> 
> Un-beta'd, and a bit ridiculous AU fluff. Not meant for slander or harm, so click back if you googled yourself. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“So what are you two doing tonight?”

Troy leans back against the doorframe of his apartment, shrugs one shoulder. “I don’t know. Probably staying in after last night.”   

Ryan snorts, shifting from one foot to the other. “Yeah, you guys _really_ need a night in after your dinner date.”

“At least we had plans on a Friday night.”

Ryan’s about to scoff, say he _had plans, thank you_ , when something, well, _someone_ catches his eye. Looks over to him and he doesn’t mean to stare, but wow. The guy just looks at him and flashes him a smile before nodding in Troy’s direction, passing them both by and heading towards what appears to be his apartment. He knows that Troy’s talking to him, probably making fun of him by this point, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to see where that gorgeous man is going. 

“... even paying attention? Hey!”

He’s startled out of his rapidly spiraling dirty thoughts by the hand on his arm, and he knows he’s still being talked at, but he doesn’t care. Just wants to know who the guy was. And if there’s one person who _would_ know who he was, he’s inside the apartment. “Hey! Nolan!”

He’s quickly shushed by Troy. “No. Let him sleep. He’s had a busy week with midterms.” 

“He’ll be fine. He can sleep over fall break.” Shifts so he can yell more easily into the apartment. “Nol -“

“GoGo, I swear to god -“ 

“Hey, he broke my microwave when I moved in, he owes me this.”

Troy gives him a dirty look. “That was six months ago, what does that have to do with anything? And you know he felt bad about dropping it.”

“Well, if he tells me who that guy is, I’ll never bring it up again.”

“Why would he -”

“He’s the apartment complex gossip. Of course he would know.”

“That doesn’t -”  

Just then, Nolan comes out of the apartment, wrapped up in the blanket he was curled up in, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “What are you two bitching about?”

Troy frowns in his direction, opening his arms so he can wrap his arms around his boyfriend. “Oh, GoGo just saw a guy he doesn’t even know walk by us in the hallway and now he’s planning their wedding.” 

Ryan rolls his eyes at him. “I am _not_. I just want to know who he is.”

Nolan looks between the two of them, slightly annoyed he was woken up from his nap for this. “So… you decided to… yell about it in the doorway?” The corner of Troy’s lips turn up in a smile, and he looks over to Ryan as well, waiting for his response. And he’s getting a little flustered, and a little impatient.

“I just - I thought you’d know who he was. You.. know. Everyone.” Deflates a little as he keeps going, realizing how ridiculous this is. Nolan sighs, but feels a little bad for him. He rubs his hand over his face and decides to give it a shot.

“What did this guy look like?”

Ryan lights up and launches into it, dreamy look in his eye. “Oh! He’s got a gorgeous smile, the prettiest eyes…” Nolan gives a Troy a look before stopping him.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s great. But what did he _actually_ look like?”

He’s a little confused at first, but blushes when he realizes he’s just been describing all the different ways he was pretty. “Oh. Um, he was about my height, blonde, tight curls, brown skin. And uh, pretty built.”

Nolan nods along and tries to keep from smiling when he realizes that yeah, he does know who he’s talking about. “Oh, him. Yeah, that’s Marcus.” Both Troy and Ryan look at him, surprise on both of their faces. “What? I met him at the gym here. He moved in a few weeks ago.” Troy just shrugs and pulls him in a little closer, but Ryan acts as if this new information is a travesty.

“And you didn’t tell him about me? I mean… me about him?”

Nolan raises an eyebrow at him. “No…? Why would I?”

“Because he looks like that!"

“Look, I’m not exactly there to make conversation. He just started chatting while we were both resting between sets and he mentioned he moved in not long ago and that he was a personal trainer. I didn’t ask him about his life story.”

Ryan chews his bottom lip, taking in everything he can. “Oh. Did you at least find out where he lives?”

Nolan doesn’t answer right away, long enough for Ryan to start shifting his feet. “I did ask, but -”

“Well?!”

Troy’s been silent during the exchange, but he has to pipe up now. “What are you going to do? Creepily knock on his door and signal to him that you’ve been seeking him out?”

Ryan huffs. “No! Just… invite him to hang out.” Pauses for a moment. “And I wouldn’t knock on his door. Just maybe, try to catch him in the hallway.” Troy gives him a look. “Oh, shut up, Tulo.” He doesn’t say anything back, just laughs. Now Nolan’s curious.

“What would you even do? Just awkwardly watch sports?”

“Well no. You two would be there too.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you have to be.”

Troy furrows his brow. “Why?”

“I need someone else there to and you’re both nice and he’s probably friendly! Just, tell me where he lives and I’ll figure it out.”

Nolan looks at his boyfriend for a moment, determining if this is worth it or not, before turning his attention to Ryan. “314.”

-

“So, you made this yourself?”

Troy looks up from his own plate and over to his house-guest. “Um, yeah. Yeah I did.” He tries not to gauge his reaction, but he’s always nervous about his cooking, especially when he’s cooking for someone new. He doesn’t want to ask what he thinks about it, but he also _really_ does.

Marcus smiles at him. “This stuffed pasta is legit. Do you mind if I get some more? I don’t want to if anyone else wants more, but. Seriously, it’s… really good.” He stops himself from rambling, but he feels the need to reiterate. He feels like this is important and doesn’t want to insult the guy who probably went through a lot of work to make it and was kind enough to let him come into his home to eat it.

Troy returns the smile and nods at him. “Yeah, of course. I.. might’ve made too much. I wasn’t sure how much everyone would eat,” pauses for a moment, a little flustered, “Oh! I also made dessert.”

Marcus has been starting to get out of his chair, but sits back down quickly. “Dessert, really? Wow, you didn’t have to go all out for me.” Troy bites his lip, looking between Ryan and Nolan for help, while Ryan looks down at his plate, trying desperately not to blush.

“Oh, I.. I just -“

Nolan finally interjects, trying to hold back a smile but failing miserably. He loves this so much. He throws his arm around Troy's shoulder, pulling him close. “That’s just how he is. He loves cooking and he’s obviously good at it.” Turns more towards Marcus. “He cooked for Ryan not long after he moved here too. Hell, every time my mom calls she asks if he’s made anything new and if she can have the recipe for it.”

Marcus nods at the both of them, smile brightening. “Oh wow, that’s awesome.” Turns his attention to Ryan as he gets up to get more. Sees his blush, thinks it’s _really_ cute, but doesn’t mention it. “Thanks for inviting me over, I’m having a good time.” Ryan barely gets out a _thanks_ before he heads into the kitchen. Once he’s gone, Nolan turns to give Troy a quick kiss on his cheek before pulling away to keep eating. It’s his favorite dish and he requested it, so he’s going to savor it. And he wants to see this interaction.

“Hey Ryan.”

“Yeah?” He’s still looking down at his plate, still trying not to blush, definitely not wanting to look in Troy’s direction just yet.

“I really don’t mind this, but uh… what happened to just hanging out at your place?”

Ryan does look up then, blushing even more. “It. Well. I thought this would be easier?”

“Easier for who?”

“Oh come on, what was I going to impress him with? My place is a mess and there’s not enough room and - you’re a good cook!”

Troy looks at him, slightly puzzled. “I still don’t know what that has to do with wooing him? I’m not trying to impress him, you are.”

“Sure, but if he eats well he might be in a better mood, and then more willing to go out for a drink or something. And like, hey, at least I didn’t go straight to his door like you thought I would! I met him in the hallway, like it was fate or something.”

“Um…”

Nolan laughs then, can’t keep it in anymore. He puts his hand back on Troy’s shoulder to get his attention. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re just doing what I always do for DJ. You’re just helping him get his guy.” Troy just nods, thinks he’s starting to get it, while Ryan throws his hand out in excitement.

“Yeah! Exactly!” He’s about to go on when the door starts to open again and Marcus comes back. He immediately stops and looks back down, licking his lips idly before picking his fork back up.

Marcus looks at each of them, a little amused at the variety of emotions each of them are portraying. He might’ve taken a little bit of time to text his friend about how the night was going, sharing his disappointment in how little he’s been able to interact with Ryan so far. But he sits back down and tries to pick up the conversation again. He’s able to get them talking about what they do for a living, hobbies, and where he should go for a good time (he’s new in town). The conversation flows easily, and by the time they’re all finished with dessert, everyone’s more relaxed and laughing about a joke Ryan made. Nolan sees how comfortable he’s getting and starts to get up.

“We’re just going to clean up a little bit. Babe, come help me?” Troy nods and immediately gets up, picking up most of the plates and heading straight to the kitchen to start washing them. Nolan just smiles at Ryan, who’s giving him a look. “We won’t be long. Just make yourself comfortable here - go to the couch. You know it’s fine.” Adds that last part for encouragement, though he doesn’t think Ryan’ll need it. Or Marcus, for that matter.

“Cool, thanks.” Marcus gets up and looks over at Ryan, hoping he’ll follow, before heading that way. He knows he’s the new guy here, but if he’s given permission, he’s going to take it. Ryan just keeps looking at Nolan as he walks away before scrambling out of his chair. He sits down next to Marcus, but he’s nervous again. He wishes he had a drink or something, but can’t get up now, and hopes Marcus can’t pick up on it. Meanwhile, Marcus has to keep himself from asking all about him, feels like he needs to get to know him. So he sticks to something safe. “So you’re fairly new here too?”

Ryan looks over at him, smiling a little. “Yeah, I moved in about six months ago. I’ve been here for eight, but when I first moved I was in a different apartment complex. Things didn’t work out there so I was able to get out of my lease and moved here.”  

He nods, can’t help but look down at his smile before meeting his eyes. “Oh, that’s. At least you were able to make it work.” Licks his lips before he keeps going. “I’ve been here for a few weeks. I’m from New York, so Phoenix is… it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Ryan catches the movement but tries not to think too much about it. His dating life hasn’t ever been great and he’s not lucky enough to get a catch like him. Just laughs softly at his comment. “Oh, yeah. Wow. You’ll have to - get used to the heat...” Trails off a little, his lame comment making him feel a little dumb. Of course he knows that. “Um, but it’s, I like it here.” Looks down at the ground, making a face.

Marcus has always been good at reading people and can feel him beating himself up, so he throws an arm over the back of the couch, turning a little more towards him. “Yeah, I will. But I’ll be okay.” Thinks about it briefly before trying something a little more on the nose. “You’ll give me tips, right?”

Ryan looks back up at him, eyes a little wide before catching himself. He just nods quickly before adding, “Yeah, yeah. I - yeah.” Worries his bottom lip, and Marcus can’t help but smile at him.

“Good.” He looks at him for a little longer before he can’t help but ask. “So… you don’t have to answer this, but I think it’s adorable and I’m not annoyed by it at all. But. Did you mean to ask me out but weren’t sure how I’d take it, so you roped in your friends instead to help?” Tries to bite back a grin, but he really can’t help it. Because he really thinks it’s cute, he’s cute, and he _really_ hopes he’s right or he’ll look like a complete idiot.

Ryan just looks at him for a moment, hung up on the _adorable_ that comes out of his mouth. He didn’t really think he was that transparent, or that he was that good at picking things out. And he tries to play it cool, say _of course not_ , why would I do that. But that’s not how Ryan does things. And he panics. “I’m sorry! I - I just... “ Starts to use his hands because he’s a flaily type of person when he’s worked up. “You’re just really attractive and when I saw you in the hall last week I needed to get to know you and wow - that sounds weird now but… I’m awkward on my own and they are really nice and I thought it might help with the awkwardness factor?” He notices he’s rambling now and he has to stop, so he takes a breath. “I’m sorry. You can totally leave if this is making you uncomfortable.”

The more he talks, the more he grins at Ryan’s rambling, until he’s practically beaming. By the time he’s done, he puts his hand on his shoulder to hopefully calm him down. “Hey, no. I told you, I’m not upset about it. I think it’s cute. Really.” Gives him a look that he hopes conveys that he’s interested.   

Ryan’s still a little flustered, but he does listen to him. Sees the look on his face too, and. “ _Oh_ .” Takes a deep breath before going on, maybe trying that confidence thing for once. “So. Would you… like to get a drink sometime?” Feels a little ridiculous for being so cautious when he just said it was cute, but he can’t help it. He’s not sure how he manages it, but Marcus’ smile gets even brighter and he can’t look away because _wow_ it’s pretty.

“Yeah, how about tomorrow? I don’t have any plans.”

“Uh - yeah! I mean, yeah. I’d like that. How’s 7?”

“Sounds great.”

They don’t say much else, just keep looking at each other, and Ryan’s still a little flustered, but he’s able to at least calm down now. And back in the kitchen, they’ve just been quietly listening through the door, not wanting to disturb them until they got to this point. Nolan can’t help but smile over at his boyfriend. “See? Aren’t you glad you agreed to this now?”

Troy rolls his eyes at him, but it’s fond. “Yeah, I suppose. As long as they don’t start making out on our couch.”

Nolan just laughs and pulls him in for a hug. “I highly doubt they’ll do that. But come on, we should probably go back out and join them again anyways.” Troy gives him a small smile and lets him lead them back into the living area. And - he is silently pleased with how the night has turned out.   

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [tumblr](https://spilborghs.tumblr.com/).


End file.
